RWBY-Reignition
by Jdbl00d
Summary: The road to recovery is long and hard, fraught with fear and uncertainty. As Yang struggles with her inhibitions, she embarks on another chapter of life, where new allies will show her that even a spark can emerge once more as a roaring flame.
1. Chapter 1: Malfunction

**Author's Note:**

 **Finally, my first RWBY fic since the ending of Vol 4. It has taken a while since there were other fics I needed to work on plus my current university attachments which unfortunately has not gone so well. Long story short, I had begun to feel pretty miserable, which also contributed to the delaying in my writing in general.**

 **That being said however, I also managed to see the amount of support I have been getting, with my tutors and fellow students being among them, which has worked toward getting me back on my feet. And with that, what better way to bring that back out than with this story focused on Yang?**

 **This story would take place between episode 4 and 9 of Volume 4 and I will admit, quite some of it was based on Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. I hope that the story just lives true to its name and that you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. As always, please review and give me any constructive comments.**

 **Yours sincerely,**

 **Jdbl00d**

* * *

 _Huff huff huff_

She breathed as she weaved through the punches, delivering retaliatory jabs at her foes. Her fists connected with each one, smacking them away and into the shadows.

She heard footsteps behind her. Turning sharply, she readied herself for battle, only to stop when she saw her opponent.

It was him, the one who had inflicted the greatest scar on her very life. His white mask gleamed amid the darkness, the red markings that ran across glowing with an unnatural red. His scarlet hair stuck out like angry thorns, flanked by the bull horns that sprouted from his head. His hand reached downward for his sword, the sickening sound of the scraping metal filling her eardrums as he drew the blade.

She readied herself for the fight, punching out with her right.

Only now her right hand was gone. Instead, she saw the stump that was the only thing left of her right arm. Stunned, she racked her brain for what to do next, only to see him dash straight at her, the blade flashing towards her head.

* * *

Yang Xiao Long woke up with a startled gasp. A few deep breaths were enough to calm her down. Once she did, she looked to her right arm.

The prosthetic was still on, the same way when she had slapped it on days ago. She raised it over her head, hearing the mechanical whirring and clinking of servos and plates that had replaced flesh, bone and muscle. She flexed the robotic fingers, feeling a slight degree of tension as she clenched them tight before letting her arm fall down.

 _Another damned dream…_ Yang scowled internally as she got up. She moved to rub the sleep from her eyes, but stopped the minute the mechanical arm touched her face. It still felt blocky, unlike a usual hand. True, she could still feel with it thanks to the pressure sensors built into the arm. However she was still sure that metallic joints and plates would not be very healthy if they came into contact with sensitive body parts like her eyes. Yet another thing she had to get used to, but she had to admit it was better than being handicapped.

Yang almost smirked as she tried to think about another joke, but decided against it as she got up and brushed her teeth, the hand working just nicely at grabbing her toothbrush. It was also water resistant, meaning she could take a bath or wash dishes properly. It was pretty nifty, no doubt about that.

Her dad had already made breakfast, a nice helping of scrambled eggs and bacon, accompanied with orange juice. Yang heartily ate it, which made her father smile. She had long ago wondered when it would be that she could properly enjoy a meal again.

She really felt the arm was growing on her. She rotated it around, looking at the gun-metal grey steel that made up the arm and frowned. It really needed a paint job too. The grey was just too dull for her. Her mind drifted to the many spray paint cans they had in storage. Slowly, ideas on how it should be flowed into her head, and she smirked as she thought of the possibilities.

She got up to do the dishes while her father went about the house to repair whatever had fallen into disarray. She washed the last glass cup and prepared to put it back into the cupboard when the arm suddenly froze.

Yang blinked, wondering what had gone wrong. She grunted, putting more effort into it but the arm didn't budge. She grunted again, putting even more force into it, but only getting a few wrist twitches from the prosthetic. Yang growled in irritation as she unleashed all her strength, her eyes turning red in the process.

And it worked, her arm moved once more. Well at least the fingers did. They closed so suddenly that it now shattered the glass into tiny fragments. Yang cried out in shock, turning her head away to avoid the glass shards. Once she was sure it was alright she turned her attention toward the arm again. She flexed the fingers and moved it around. She frowned as she noted how it worked just fine.

Footsteps sounded behind her as her dad rushed in. "Sweetheart! Is everything okay?"

Yang stayed silent for a bit as she flexed the arm. "Yeah." She nodded. "I'm good. Maybe just used a little too much there."

Taiyang nodded. "Well, it happens. It's quite amazing that you've gotten used to it this fast."

"What can I say dad?" Yang smirked. "I'm a fast learner."

"Well, let's see how well you can back that up." Taiyang grinned as he cracked his knuckles. "You ready to go?"

Within minutes, they had begun their usual sparring routine. Yang felt the adrenaline rush through her once more as she sent a left hook to her father, who blocked it expertly and countered. Yang spun around him, watching his fist fly past her face and striking with her right at his blind spot. Her father quickly ducked, and she went in, throwing out punches his way. A few times her right struck him, causing him to falter, but he recovered quickly enough to still put up resistance.

Yang struck again and this time he caught her arm, pushing her away with a kick before charging in for a haymaker. Yang moved her arms up to defend…

…and her right arm stopped again. Yang registered a few jerks from the metallic limb before her father struck her full force in the gut, sending her sprawling to the ground.

Yang breathed as she lay on the floor, turning her gaze to the prosthetic. She tried to move it, but got only as far as a few fingers moving. The wrist twitched slightly while everything else had frozen up. _State of the art my foot_. Yang fumed as she lay on the ground.

"Yang! Yang, are you okay?" She heard her father call.

"Swell dad." Yang groaned as she sat up. She felt her father lift her to her feet as she recovered from the impact.

"Hey, just tell me kiddo." Taiyang asked. "Is there anything wrong with the arm?"

Yang looked at it again, watching as her efforts to make it move resulted in nothing but small twitches and jerks. "Well, I guess this is it…"

"Hmm." Taiyang frowned. "Guess there are still some kinks to work out."

"That's for sure." Yang said as she regained full control again, flexing the metallic joints. "Is there any way to fix this? Pretty stupid to have an arm again only to find it doesn't always work."

Taiyang thought for a while as Yang kept moving the arm. Yang studied his face as he constantly looked to her arm and then to the ground again. Then, he raised his head, looking directly at Yang. It seemed he had made a decision.

"What?" She asked, curious to what her father had decided.

"Well, I know a guy who can help you with this." Taiyang said. "Thing is, he is quite a ways away. I can probably call him, but he works in a very _classified_ environment. Whole secrecy and stuff."

"I can keep my mouth shut dad." Yang replied, gesturing to her arm. "As long as I can use this thing right."

"It's not that I'm concerned about." Taiyang said. "There is one more thing about this guy you should know."

"What?" Yang frowned.

"He is without a doubt…" Taiyang said sullenly. "The biggest prick on Remnant."


	2. Chapter 2: Achilles

Yang twisted the prosthetic arm again, noting how the servos and metal joints worked just fine. She stared overhead as the night sky shrouded the surrounding mountainous landscape. Trees and ferns dotted the land, not enough to obscure the land, but enough to provide sufficient cover for the operatives.

"Move up." Came the man in front of her. Yang remembered his name as Luis, a top notch Huntsman who had successfully performed many stealth operations over his career before he suddenly dropped off the grid. No one knew why, and whenever Yang tried to ask him about it, his reply was an incredibly sullen: 'I don't want to talk about it.' It wasn't long before she found out that Luis rarely talked unless it was completely necessary, and that he regarded questions (particularly short-sighted ones) with the ire of a Beowolf.

Yang followed his lead as they approached the manor. Based on the briefing, she knew that this was a rescue operation. A high-ranking councilman from Mistral had been captured by bandits who demanded a very hefty ransom for his safe return.

Yang watched as Luis moved up to the door. He fixed his visor over his eyes, holding up three fingers as he scanned the room behind. Three people have been spotted using the X-ray lens, a definite Atlas gadget. Yang readied herself, the left bracer of Ember Celica ready.

Luis's hand reached for the doorknob as Yang stood in front of it. Quickly he opened it and Yang rushed inside, heading for the nearest guard. With a swift uppercut to his chin, he was knocked out cold. She twisted into his limp body, hefting it off the ground and throwing him into the last guard as Luis subdued the other. The two of them crashed into the wall as Yang ran up and with a swift punch, knocked out the final guard.

"Hustle it!" Luis whispered sharply. It wouldn't be long till the remained of the enemy force found out about their infiltration. Yang ran forward, bracing herself in front of the door where the VIP was held. Once Luis was close, Yang punched right through the door, her momentum propelling her toward the lone guard who was standing beside the captive councilman. With a few well aimed punches, the guard went out cold. Yang turned to the sound of a door opening to see a guard charge out, a firearm aimed straight at her.

 _Pop! Pop!_ The sound of Luis's rifle echoed through the room. The bandit fell backward, slumping over as his blood smeared the wall behind. Yang didn't flinch at the sight. She had seen enough of it to be used to it by now. She remembered the tremendous amount of bandages she had noticed when she finally awoke, soaked in her own blood. She had also seen plenty of death during the fall of Beacon, with soldiers and students alike falling prey to the Grimm and Faunus extremists.

"Sir." Luis spoke. "We are an Atlas spec ops team. We're here to get you out. Yang, take point, I'll bring up the rear."

"Roger." Yang nodded. From their briefing, she knew their extraction point was a small clearing behind the house, past the main courtyard. She also knew that it was a completely open ground with little cover. They needed to move fast to avoid getting overwhelmed.

Yang reached the main door, reaching for the doorknob when her hand froze again. Yang crouched low and twisted the prosthetic, feeling it jerk slightly before it resumed full motion once more. She shot a look at Luis, who regarded the scene with a frown.

"I'm working on it!" She whispered back while simultaneously opening the door. She peeked outside, seeing nothing but the cold stony paths surrounded by grass and potted plants. "Clear!" She said before moving outside, crouching behind a small bench while Luis escorted the councilman out.

Yang moved forward again, keeping aware of her surroundings. She spotted the main road just three hundred metres ahead. As she motioned for Luis to move up, she noticed movement in the darkness ahead. At least ten or so hostiles were converging on their position.

"Contact!" Luis shouted as he returned fire, bringing down a few enemies as the rest took cover and returned fire. Yang clenched her fist as one charged right at her. Quickly, she stood up and launched a haymaker at his face. She felt something crunch as her metallic fist connected. She charged forward again, cocking Ember Celica and launching a few rounds at the bandits, who had no choice but the duck to avoid being shot. With the opening, Yang rushed them, smashing through their cover and throwing them around. A single punch from her right felled her foes while her left kept her covered at mid-range combat. With the distraction she had provided, Luis moved up with the VIP in tow.

"There's our ride!" Luis said as a jeep drove up. "Get the councilman out of here!" He now turned a fired back, covering Yang enough for her to escort the hostage to the van. She reached for the door again, and just as he metal fingers clamped around the handle, the arm froze up once more. Yang grunted as she tugged with all her might, but the limb was unresponsive.

Footsteps sounded to her left. Yang turned just to see a masked figure run up to her, its left hand raised. Yang now felt the cold steel of metal smash into her nose, the force of the blow causing her to fly a few feet away, hitting the dirt as her aura flashed; indicating severe damage. She looked up to see the masked figure pull out a shotgun, pointing it at the councilman and squeezing the trigger. The shot blew the councilman off his feet and into the air, where he now stayed, his shape flickering as it did.

The figure now stepped forward, still holding the shotgun. The weapon slowly shifted, the gun muzzle withdrawing back as the pump unsheathed a thick blade while the handle shifted forward and the trigger folded into the barrel. The figure now pointed the sword at her, the blade hovering a few inches from her throat.

"Sloppy work Yang." The figure removed the mask, revealing spiky white hair and a jaw lined with sharp teeth. His left hand whirred as the mechanical fingers extended into claws. "And now, you're dead." He withdrew the blade, his weapon shifting back into its shotgun form as he slung it onto his back. "Reset!" He bellowed.

Lights flashed and machines whirred. Slowly the landscape around her moved as rocks, trees, even the manor sank into the ground or folded up, replaced with metal floors and hatches. The night sky flickered as the holographic projection was cut, revealing catwalks and a metal ceiling above where lights glared down at her. The bodies and blood of the bandits and the dead councilman flickered and vanished, leaving nothing behind. Somewhere else, daylight poured in as a massive hanger door opened, revealing the blue sky outside.

Yang picked herself up, her right arm hanging uselessly by the side. The white-haired man came up to her, extending his own hand which she grabbed (reluctantly). As he hauled her up, Yang spotted a buggy approaching from behind. When it stopped, the passenger door opened and out stepped a woman dressed in a black blouse and skirt, altogether with a white lab coat.

The white haired man immediately grabbed her prosthetic arm, hoisting it up for the new arrival to see. "It's the arm Doctor Ignis. I knew it was too soon for her." Yang's response was to yank the dangling limb away from him and glare back, to which he shot a similar look.

"Easy Reigel." Replied Doctor Ignis. "We are both aware of her situation." She now shot a concerned smile at Yang as she examined the arm. "Well, it seems a little bit of wet work is in order. Nothing the team can't handle." Ignis smiled as she gestured to the buggy. "Climb in. You too Reigel. I've got some matters to discuss."

Yang obliged, getting inside the vehicle as the man Reigel got in the seat next to her. "Take us away." Dr. Ignis said. The driver nodded and off the buggy went.

Yang watched as the buggy left the massive hangar and skimmed across the paved terrain. Yang looked out to the scenery, which was nothing but blue skies and ocean all around. She watched as Atlesian knights patrolled the deck and soldiers jogged around, many of whom had prosthetics of their own.

This was the mobile flotilla of Achilles. Yang remembered the day they had come to pick her up from Patch, after her father had put in a call regarding her malfunctioning arm. She remembered the people who had knocked on the door and the first impression she had gotten.

* * *

 **Two days ago:**

"Ignis! Glad you could make it" Taiyang had greeted the woman when she arrived, with Yang walking down to see the commotion. Yang's first impression of the woman was that despite her 'geeky' look with the thick glasses, her oversized front teeth and the frayed sweater she wore, the doctor was definitely a nice person. This was evidenced by how she hugged Taiyang warmly.

"Tai! Always good to see you!" Ignis had replied. "It's been how long since we met at the Vytal festival?"

"Twenty years or so." Taiyang answered. "If memory serves right."

"Haha. You didn't have tattoos back then." Ignis smirked as she eyed Taiyang's left arm before her gaze shifted to Yang. "Nor did you have a family. This is Yang I take it?"

"One and only." Yang smiled in greeting. "Yang Xiao Long. Good to meet you. You were a friend of my dad's?"

"Yes. My team and his went up against each other in the Vytal festival." Ignis recalled. "Team STRQ trounced us good. Qrow was incredible and Summer was just as so. But that Raven…" Ignis whistled. "Boy did she leave me feeling sore."

"Ignis…" Taiyang shot her a cautious glare.

"Ah, sorry." Ignis replied. "Went off track there."

"I'm pretty sure my mom was like that." Yang sniggered at her father, who merely rolled his eyes. "But anyways, I heard that you could help me with this?" Yang now displayed the arm, which Ignis took hold of and examined slowly.

"It seems undamaged at the very least." Ignis nodded. "Must be something to do with the calibration or inner circuitry…"

"Wow doc." Yang blinked. "You know your stuff."

"I should." Ignis smirked. "I helped design this."

"Wait, you _made_ this?" Yang gasped.

"Most of the design was by me." Ignis explained as she twisted the prosthetic around. "I focused on mainly making it effective and pragmatic for use by people, be they Huntsmen or ordinary citizens. The construction however I leave to the people at Atlas, so I don't exactly see if a good job was done in that process. However I am always up to date on the latest software and calibration devices used."

"Wait a second…" Yang said as she withdrew the arm. "I know this sounds rude and all when you obviously are here to help me, but who are you?"

"Dr. Ignis Troile." She replied. "I was once from Atlas academy, but instead of becoming a Huntress, I dedicated my life to helping warriors get right back into the field of battle after suffering severe injuries. I am the founder of Achilles, an Atlas based research firm of incredible secrecy with contracts all across Remnant. Our mission is to mainly support wounded troops and Huntsmen and ensure they are fit for combat duties. Why, many Atlas specialists have benefited from my work, especially Ironwood."

"You helped out the General with his?" Yang exclaimed.

"Mostly just the upgrades." Ignis replied. "And I am all too happy to help with your situation. Of course, it would require you to make use of the state-of-the-art and incredibly secretive facilities of Achilles."

"Okay, I get it. All hush hush about what is going on." Yang nodded. "But so long as I can go forward, I don't mind either way."

"Perfect!" Ignis smiled. "Well then, perhaps you would like to get yourself packed?"

"All done." Taiyang said. "She's ready to go."

"Go where?" Yang asked. "You still haven't told me why I need to pack so much stuff for myself."

"Achilles does not operate in any one location." Came another voice outside. Everyone turned to see the white-haired man enter the house. Yang took note of everything regarding the new arrival. He had sharp teeth, characteristics of a Faunus. He wore a red jacket over a white shirt and grey pants and slung behind him was a shotgun. But most prominent were his mechanical limbs. Prosthetics formed his left hand and right leg, though the hand had sharpened claws instead of fingers.

"Yang." Her father spoke up. "This is Reigel Panthera. He was a junior of mine when he was in Beacon and is a Huntsmen working with Achilles."

Reigel merely nodded toward Taiyang before turning his attention to Yang. "Achilles maintains a mobile base. It's how we ensure our secrecy in the world. We possess some of the most revolutionary technology for troops and Huntsman. Letting it stay in one place where it could be easily tracked is just asking for trouble."

"That explains it." Yang nodded. "Well, I'm ready to go."

"I know you are." Taiyang nodded as he leaned in and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Take care of yourself, my sunny little dragon."

"You worry about yourself dad." Yang smiled. "And be sure to take care of Zwei too."

"I'm not worried about me Yang." Taiyang said as he now looked at Reigel. "You better take care of my little girl."

"That's what I'm here to do Tai." Reigel said. "But let's get one thing straight. I do it my way, no matter how much of a hardass I need to be." He now looked at Yang with an extremely hostile stare. "And you'd better keep up."

"Was that a challenge buster?" Yang growled as her eyes flashed red. "Bring it."

* * *

 **Present:**

Yang now scowled as the buggy drove through the massive flotilla. It wasn't as large as Beacon, but it still provided ample facilities for the six-hundred or so troops that were stationed here. She watched as Atlesian paladins strode about while overhead Bullheads landed on designated pads, no doubt returning from reconnaissance rounds. All around she was flanked by hundreds of training grounds that fitted the need for the many types of hardware being tested. Firing ranges for newly developed weapons, obstacle courses meant to train troops in newer armour systems and even hangars for the construction and storage of newer prototype vehicles that Yang had never seen before.

She glanced at Reigel, who now appeared to be focused elsewhere. It was not long after she had arrived that she found out that it was Reigel that her father had dubbed the biggest prick on Remnant. Luis might have been stern and unsociable, but Reigel was completely _unlikeable_.

Within the first few hours aboard Yang experienced firsthand exactly what Reigel was capable of. His motto: Learn fast or die. Ignis may have been in charge of ensuring the arm worked fine and reviewing the rehab programmes, but Reigel was in charge of making sure she worked it out and trained with it.

And he was very enthusiastic about showing just how mediocre she was compared to him. Within the first few sparring matches, he had thrown her around countless times without much effort. No matter what she did, he always found a way to turn things around. And it didn't help how he was completely critical over her performance.

"Average is right." He had said when she ranked only that upon a simulated Grimm extermination exercise. "Amateur." He had stated when her punches with the prosthetic barely caused the force meter to go into the yellow. "Shoddy." He had mouthed to her as he threw her down over his shoulder and out of the sparring ring. Never mind that the arm wasn't exactly functioning right.

But the one thing that took the cake was that the guy attacked her always when she least expected it. The first occurrence was when lunch was being served. As she walked past him with a tray laden with a scrumptious looking meal, he had yanked her by the arm, kicked her in the knee and thrown her across the mess hall.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" She had screamed as she recovered and her eyes went red. "You want me to kill you that badly?!"

"I'd like to see you try." Reigel responded as everyone else tried to clear away as fast as possible. "Keep alert at all times kid. Unless you have a really profound interest in experiencing death, I suggest you do that. A Huntress can't afford to get careless, not when the next day could very well be your last."

At the time, Yang was completely tempted to charge him down. However it was obvious Reigel was much more skilled than she was, though unlike her father he didn't make it a habit of being polite about it. She was sure that he'd exploit her weaknesses easily, just like the last Faunus she tangled with. Thus, she did the only thing she could. She bit her lip and continued training, so that maybe one day she could give him the beating he deserved.

"Well Yang, how has your first few days in Achilles been?" Ignis asked.

"Oh wonderful." Yang replied sarcastically. "Been getting a lovely treatment of being flung around, tossed, punched and of course being criticised by a total prick." At this, Reigel stared back at her coldly.

"So I see." Ignis said as the buggy stopped. Yang looked as they had reached the maintenance wing. Considering that most of the people aboard the flotilla had a prosthetic of some sort, most of the maintenance was geared toward handling any issues that had occurred with the artificial limbs, with only a few sections handling the droids and vehicles.

"Go in Yang." Ignis said as she turned around. "Get that arm fixed. I'll see you later during dinner."

"Yeah." Yang nodded as she got out. She watched the buggy drive off before she entered the maintenance wing. She walked down the hallway to the furthermost door, taking note of the hisses of sliding doors that opened in other hallways. She watched as the camera above scanned her, reading the biometric chip that was implanted somewhere in the Achilles combat uniform she was given.

The door opened and Yang walked into the lab where two scientists waited for her.

"Ah, Yang." The first scientist spoke. "We've been expecting you. This way please."

Yang followed him, taking her place at the chair he gestured to. Once she was seated, a holographic screen lit up on the table in front of her. "Place your hand here please." He instructed as he pointed to a small pad on the table. Yang lifted the prosthetic up and placed it down, metallic rings now rising up to keep the arm in place. The scientist now grabbed a spike-like apparatus that was held in place by a mechanical strut. With his other hand, he moved back one of the plates upon her arm where a circular port was located. He inserted the spike inside, and the monitor buzzed to life and Yang registered a slight tingling in the arm.

"Alright Yang." He said as he turned his eyes to the screen. "Try moving the arm please?"

Yang nodded, grunting as she tried to twist her wrist. However, only a few fingers twitched. She watched as the other made detailed notes on his own computer.

"Okay. Making a slight adjustment…" The scientist nodded as he looked at the monitor. Yang was sure he was measuring the circuit connectivity or something similar. Big words that she didn't know. "Try again." He said. Yang complied, grunting as she tried to move. This time, her fingers curled only halfway while the wrist jerked.

"I think I know what the problem is." The scientist replied as he typed away again. Yang watched as the screen flashed and beeped, unsure of whether the current adjustments would work. "Try again." He said once more. Yang tried once more, and the arm moved fluidly without inhibition. She twirled the wrist around, flexing the fingers before she held her palm upwards and clenched it into a fist.

"Seems to be working." He nodded as he removed the spike and the metal placeholders. "But I would still recommend a little bit more physio to ensure the calibrations are stable. I'll put the report through to Dr. Ignis and Commander Reigel."

"Sure." Yang replied. As she was about to leave, she asked another question. "Any tips on dealing with the hardass?"

"Reigel?" The scientist replied. "Sorry kid. I got myself a job in this department because I couldn't stand that guy. I got nothing for you."

"Great…" Yang sighed as she made her way out. "Thanks anyways…"

* * *

 **Achilles Head Office**

"Reigel, I know you are doing what needs to be done, but remember she is not the same as the few hundred soldiers you've helped rehabilitate over the years." Ignis said sternly as she sat at her desk. Reigel on the other hand remained standing, helping himself to freshly brewed coffee. "So I think it would be very appreciated if you could ease up on that girl."

"We're all soldiers now…" Reigel said as he took a sip. "Ever since Beacon fell, the world ought to know that we can't just sit tight with our thumbs up our assess. Anyone of us could die at any time. The faster we realise that, the better off we are."

"I understand your concerns." Ignis sighed as she rested her chin on her palm. "And I know who our real enemies are. I have already made it explicit to the Atlas council that Achilles will not participate in any conflict with another. In the event of that happening, I hit the kill switch on our operations. But even I know that there are limits to acknowledge and respect, and treating Yang like any one of your other trainees is straining that to a very heavy degree."

Reigel sipped the coffee. "Fine. I'll tone it down for her. But I still expect her to keep her head up. If what Qrow said is true, she's going to have to learn that our real enemies are far more dangerous than anything she has seen in her entire life. If she wants to be serious about getting out there again, she'll need to learn quick now, or not at all."

"I thought you'd said you'd tone it down?" Ignis growled.

"I will." Reigel said. "When I feel like it."

"You are such an asshole. And by the way, I'm being nice when I say this." Ignis scowled. "Why did I ever think working with you was a good idea?"

"Because I know what it's like to lose a piece of you." Reigel nodded as he looked at his mechanical left arm. "I know what it's like to survive a brush with death. They may not admit it, but the people I train? They need me more than they know." With nothing left to say, Reigel placed his used mug in the small office sink and walked out.

"How is it that a guy like you can make so much sense?" Ignis asked herself as she read the report concerning Yang's arm.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

 **So yeah, a little bit more strong language here than I have used for other RWBY fics. Then again, with the RWBY story getting into more mature themes, I think I can get away with this a little. Still, story is rated as M, just to be safe.**

 **Please read and comment. It is greatly appreciated.**

 **Jdbl00d**


	3. Chapter 3: Reminiscence

Yang grunted as she climbed the rock wall. The flotilla didn't come with just training grounds or sparring arenas. For people like her who needed the extra physiotherapy, there were many other facilities to aid with. Besides the rock wall, there were free weights, workout machines, hanging bars and even occasionally some courts for the occasional basketball game. Of course, with very few people around, Yang saw no reason to make use of that particular facility.

"Coming down!" She yelled to her spotter fifty feet below. With a thumbs up, she let go of the rock face, keeping her legs outstretched so that she wouldn't collide into the wall surface. Slowly she felt the jerking of her suspended body as she was slowly lowered to the ground. As she touched the floor and began removing the harness, one of the scientists came up to her.

"How is the arm?" He asked as he scanned the prosthetic with his scroll.

"Seems to be just fine." Yang nodded as she flexed the fingers. "Not much of the freezing I am so acquainted with."

"Good to hear." He responded as he finished his work. "Seems the calibrations weren't harmful in any way. Just to be sure though, we'll run through a few more physio trials tomorrow, if you are alright with it of course."

"Sure thing doc!" Yang grinned, pleased that nothing had come up. Just as she deposited the harness back, she heard a clanking from behind her.

Yang turned just as Reigel swiped at her with his clawed left hand. Quickly she raised her own, metal screeching off metal as his own prosthetic clashed with hers. Seeing the opportunity, Yang threw a jab right at his stomach, knocking the Faunus back a few metres. Reigel rolled on the floor, bracing himself before he charged her again.

Yang's eyes flashed red, mostly because of how incredibly pissed she was at this routine. She stood her ground, hands raised into fists as Reigel finally closed the distance. Once he was within striking distance, she loosed out a punch.

Reigel caught the punch with his metal left hand, sending a shockwave through the room. In the same instant, he circled around, twisting Yang's arm behind her while reaching over with his right to grab her chin, jerking her head upwards.

"I win again." Reigel said as he held her there. "A single twist, and there goes your neck." He now released his hold on her, pushing her away. Yang turned back, glaring at him with those red eyes.

"Keep running your mouth." Yang growled. "I'll take you down if it's the last thing I do here."

"With that attitude? Hardly." Reigel answered. "Maybe you are strong, and maybe you are tough. But the best thing you were born with is the thing in between your ears. Start using it. Otherwise, forget about ever taking me down."

Yang watched as he walked away. Her hostility only cooling off when he left her line of sight, her eyes returning to their normal lilac colour. "What is that guy's problem?" She asked the staff who finally decided it was safe to emerge.

"I have very little idea as to what Reigel's behaviour portends." The scientist said. "Nevertheless, his methods prove very effective for the many people who we have treated."

"Well somebody ought to give that jerk a punch in the face for good measure." Yang snarled as she picked up her things. "Been a long time coming if you ask me."

"Well if you get the chance, do it for all of us too." The scientist grumbled. "He needs a taste of his own medicine."

"You got it." Yang chuckled as she left for dinner.

* * *

Yang stared around in Doctor Ignis's office. Truth be told she had expected it to be large and spacious with a single table at the very end. She had anticipated there to have been models of past hardware made by Achilles and also believed to see paintings adorning the walls.

While she did get the first part of the office right, the second was quite far off. There were no paintings or trophies displayed. Instead grey columns lined the walls, which Yang suspected were there solely for structural purposes. The only things that broke the symmetry of the whole place were the small sink near the door and the coffee making corner that was along the same wall.

Yang fidgeted as she sat by the table that had been set out. For a busy woman, Doctor Ignis kept herself quite tidily as evidenced by the table cloth that was draped nicely across the table and the silverware that was laid out very meticulously. This was greatly reinforced by the nature of her desk. A strange cleanliness was present in the oval-shaped table that was polished to a gleam. A single monitor sat in the middle of it while on a right was a cup filled with an assortment of coloured pens. The left had a small spherical knob, which Yang assumed was a holographic screen used solely for communication.

The door to the office opened. Yang turned to see Ignis hobbling in with a huge stack of paper in her hands. Yang got off the chair and moved forward, taking half the stack off the doctor's hands.

"Thanks Yang!" Ignis smiled. "Sorry for coming back like this, but I have had a tough day."

"Can't be as tough as mine…" Yang grumbled as she put the papers down on the desk.

"Right. I forgot." Ignis replied. "I tried to talk some sense into Reigel, trust me."

"Well, maybe sense needs to be beaten into him." Yang scowled. "Looks like the only thing that'll work."

"Well, he's not invited here." Ignis nodded as she motioned for Yang to sit down. "So you can have dinner without having to worry about him."

Yang shrugged. It seemed that was the best idea for now. Yang sat back down as a few bots made their way in along with a dinner trolley. Yang arched an eyebrow as the bots served the appetiser, a nice serving of Minestrone soup.

"Sorry about the bots." Ignis shrugged. "I've got the brain and smarts for hardware, gear and weapons development. But give me raw foodstuffs and a kitchen, it becomes a disaster immediately. Can you believe that?"

"Actually, I can." Yang smirked as she remembered the old days back in Beacon, when Ruby tried to make a cake and then asked Weiss to watch it. Just five minutes in and the whole kitchen was already on fire. They then had to put out the fire, clean up the catastrophe that was Ruby's cake and explain to Glynda how the whole place was burned down and before having to comfort Ruby over the loss of the pastry.

No sooner than Yang remembered it did her eyes fall. Once more, she was reminded that Beacon was gone, fallen to the machinations of that woman named Cinder along with the help she had. Emerald, Mercury and…

"Yang, your eyes are going red." Ignis said. Yang blinked as she looked up, staring at her reflection in the silverware. Slowly she breathed, her eyes returning to their normal lilac colour.

"Thinking of something again huh?" Ignis asked as she took a spoonful of the soup.

"Just about the fall of Beacon…" Yang said as she reached for the spoon with her prosthetic, eyeing the way the fingers moved and grabbed the utensil. "The day everything changed."

"I'm sure it wasn't easy." Ignis nodded. "Reigel had something similar when he was injured. He was escorting a group of Faunus civilians with his team when he threw himself between an Ursa and a kid. He spent lots of time in the hospital before someone came to him and told him he could get the prosthetics he now has.

"You?" Yang replied curiously.

"My dad." Ignis smiled. "He was a big Atlas scientist in the day. Most of my current designs are based on his work. I like to think I'm continuing on with whatever he left me. I wasn't that much of a fighter. After all, your mom proved it during our first Vytal festival together."

Yang remained silent as she processed this. The last time she saw her mom was at Mountain Glenn, after she had saved her from Neopolitan. She had never seen her again, but from what her uncle said, it wasn't going to happen again soon. Still, she had to know…

"What happened then?" Yang asked.

"Well, we were set on a hybrid field of desert and ice. My team was arrayed on one side, team STRQ on the other." Ignis described. "We had a plan where I'd use my guns at long range while the rest went in close. Seems like Team STRQ had the same idea and before I knew it, I was trading fire with one of their team, Summer Rose. Of course, I ended up having to score up against the others when we realised the previous tactics weren't working. I can't remember the most of the fight, but I remember Raven suddenly running at me and…"

Ignis swallowed as she finished off the rest of the soup. "Let me tell you this Yang, do you know what it is like to see a woman with blood-red eyes rushing full force straight at you with a sword that could carve a Death Stalker in half?"

"Not really, no…" Yang answered as she also finished her soup. On cue, a droid came in and carried the finished bowls and used spoons away, replacing them with the main course; grilled steak with mashed potatoes, peas and diced carrots with an accompanying peppercorn sauce.

"Well let me tell you." Ignis chuckled as she poured the sauce over. "It is absolutely petrifying. Next thing I know, I had woken up in the _spectator stands_. That's right, she hit me hard enough to smash me right through the protective barriers of Amity coliseum. Those are industrial grade projectors mind you. Even the announcers were shocked. And Raven? Didn't even give a damn. She even did damage to the arena and the walls, but walked away like it was nothing. After that, it went downhill. With my guns out, they just mopped up the rest of us."

"Wow." Yang gasped. "Mom was that bad huh?"

"Yeah." Ignis nodded. "And there was a certain white tiger Faunus on Beacon who was absolutely terrified of her too."

"Reigel?" Yang exclaimed midway through her steak. "That prick!?"

"Yes." Ignis nodded. "That prick. But for some reason he also saw something in her. In fact, I think he learned from her a great many things. Things that he is teaching people now."

"Huh…" Yang frowned. "So is he trying to teach me something from my mom or something?"

"I don't know what his motivations are." Ignis said. "But in the end, when he was stuck in that hospital, something changed. And that's why he's like this now. I'm not asking you to like him, but I just want you to know that despite all the crap he pulls off, there is a side to him anyone could empathise with, if they knew his whole story."

"But I don't know his whole story." Yang remarked as she finished the steak.

"Because he delights in not telling it." Ignis grumbled as she put her knife and fork away. "What it is, you've got to convince him to tell you."

Yang frowned as the droids once more came and took away the plates and used cutlery before bringing out their dessert, a vanilla ice cream sundae. "Well then." Ignis clapped her hands. "Let's just carry on with dinner, shall we? Oh and whatever you heard, you didn't hear it from me, got it?"

"Got it." Yang chuckled in response.

* * *

Yang walked back through the training hangars. Night had fallen upon the open seas and the stars winked in the sky. As she made a usual turn, she heard grunting sounding from somewhere down the hall. Curiosity overcame her immediately and she went to investigate. What she found was quite the stunning sight.

Reigel himself was sparring against a training droid. From what Yang knew, these machines adapted well to a fight and incorporated real-time battle scenarios. Basically, they could react and respond appropriately to any moves made by their opponent, stopping only when they had been completely subdued.

Reigel wore nothing on top, leaving his muscular figure bare beneath the moonlight. Yang now saw that his entire arm had been amputated, the metal ending only at his shoulder. She could also make out where the metal had been grafted into the flesh. His sweat shone on his bare skin as he breathed hard while crossing jabs with the machine dummy. He weaved around the punches sent his way while returning jabs of his own, the machine beeping whenever he landed a hit. When the dummy swung a left hook, Reigel parried with both hands before bringing up his right leg. Through his track pants, Yang could now see that the prosthetic reached up all the way to his knee, maybe a little beyond that even.

Reigel quickly struck vital areas, the dummy beeping with every hit. Finally the dummy lashed out a jab. Reigel caught it with his prosthetic arm before twisting the dummy's arm and drove his fist into its head. The dummy beeped once more before shutting down, indicating it's simulated Aura levels had gone critical.

Yang looked on as Reigel turned the machine off before leaving the hangar and going outside, taking only a small towel with him. Still spurred on by curiosity, Yang followed him. She watched as he lay back down on the tarmac of the flotilla. She watched him as he breathed in and out, his chest heaving with each breath.

Then his breathing paused and he closed his eyes. "Alright, the person who has been spying on me for the past few minutes, get out here now."

Yang hissed as she realised he had known of her presence the whole time. Seeing no other option, she emerged out onto the tarmac as he sat up, sending a glare her way. "Shouldn't you be getting to sleeping now? You've got a big day tomorrow with me."

"Shouldn't you?" Yang retorted. "I mean, haven't you got enough tomorrow with trying to attack me any chance you get? I'm sure you will need rest for that."

"I'm not just your trainer kid." Reigel answered. "I've got fifty other people just like you who need training and rehabilitating. And as their trainer, I got to work that much harder for all of them _and_ you. So don't give me that kind of lip."

"Doesn't stop you from picking on me more than the rest." Yang snapped back. Reigel didn't bother looking at her as she said it. He fixed his eyes straight on the ocean and kept them there. Yang frowned as she sat down a few metres from him. She looked at her right arm, clenching the fingers over and over. "Would it be alright if I could ask you a personal question?"

"Like what?" Reigel asked. "What kind of drink I like? What's my favourite colour? Do I have a girl waiting for me back in Vale?"

"Did it hurt?" Yang asked as she now rubbed her right arm. "After the injury, after the damage, after the _loss_ , did it hurt?"

For the first time she had known him, Reigel was completely silent. Yang looked at him as he stared out at the ocean, wondering what was going through his mind. After a while, she decided he wasn't going to answer and prepared to leave.

"What the hell did Ignis tell you?" Reigel said, stopping her in her tracks.

Yang looked back and sat down once more. "Just the part about you getting broken."

Reigel snorted. "Broken. Very funny."

"Not quite." Yang replied. "I didn't know what had happened at first. My whole body went numb, and next thing I knew, I had lost a part of me. I kept telling myself it was a dream, but even I'm not that stupid. When reality kicked in I just shut down. And then I felt the pain, right here…" She now lightly beat her chest, right where her heart was.

Reigel now looked at his own prosthetics. They were blockier and made of a darker metal compared to hers and the joints had sharpened edges as well, most likely to accentuate the claws he was permanently left with. "I didn't really know at first." He said as he looked at his own fingers. "I guess maybe it was all because I couldn't feel anything then. Then I got told my Huntsman days were over, and I suppose I just crashed. Even my teammates Wesley and Nicole tried, but I could never pick myself up…"

"Wait…" Yang frowned. "Where have I heard those names?"

"I was a member of team WNDR back in those days." Reigel explained, much to Yang's surprise. "Wesley and Nicole told me about you and how you helped them."

"Well, I guess now I know where you got your moves." Yang answered.

"We were a pretty tough bunch." Reigel nodded. "That is, until I wound up in hospital."

"And then, your mom came." Reigel said, shocking Yang completely. "Came to my hospital room in the dead of the night. She didn't care if she was trespassing, she didn't care if I didn't want to see her. She told me one thing, wanna know what it was? She told me: 'I was done'."

Yang didn't respond, taking in the words as Reigel spoke them. "I knew what she meant." He continued. "I was weak. I didn't have what it took to go on anymore. And she left without another word."

"That's when I decided I didn't want that." Reigel said as he raised his metal arm. "So I got these put on, I got back out there. I became a Huntsman again. But it also made me realise that there are others who may not have been able to go on like me. And that's why I'm here."

Reigel now stood up, his towel draped over his shoulder. "I'm tough on you for one reason only. Because out of everyone I've trained, you're the only one who has gone through the same things I did. Unless you want to keep experiencing that, you'd better remember to learn quickly. Next time, you may not be so lucky to be alive."

The words echoed through Yang's mind. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. Her strength wasn't going to get her further than she was now. If she wanted to truly return to the fold, she had to do something about it, and fast.

Reigel now sauntered away, going back to the training hangar. Yang watched as he went back and set a programme for the dummy. Yang now stood up and went over to him. Just before he hit the start button, she snapped her hand out, preventing him from touching it.

Reigel watched as Yang removed her Achilles jacket, exposing her tank top. She threw the jacket aside and raised her hands. "You won't get much done with just a robot. You know that."

The Faunus frowned at her as she readied herself. "It's getting late."

"So you'd better hurry up and start." Yang replied.

Reigel nodded as he also geared himself into a combat stance. "Don't blame me if you get hurt."

* * *

 **The Next Day:**

Doctor Ignis walked down into the hangar bays where a commotion had started. For some reason quite a large number of troops and rehabilitative personnel were gathered around a small section of the training hangar. "What's going on?" Ignis asked as they cleared a path. As Ignis got to the centre of it all, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Reigel was asleep on the floor of the hangar, propping himself up against the strut of an Atlesian paladin's leg. He wasn't wearing a shirt, leaving his muscular body in full view. Next to him Yang snored away, her head resting on another side of the paladin's leg with her Achilles jacket covering her like a blanket. Yang also appeared battered and bruised, and there appeared to be some scrapes that were starting to scab.

Ignis sighed in exasperation as she prodded Reigel with her shoe. The white tiger Faunus stirred before opening his eyes. It was then that Ignis registered a bruise forming under his left eye and another on his right cheek.

"Care to explain what in Remnant happened here?" Ignis asked.

Reigel looked up at her, and then at Yang, and then back at her again before he answered. "We had a bit of a special bonding moment."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So yeah, finally introducing the last member of an OC team I created after Volume 1 of RWBY. If you want to know more about that, you can check out my story titled: The Wandering Beacon. Additionally, I do have another story that covers the third member of team WNDR titled: Road to Haven, which introduced Reigel's partner. Please note I am not advertising my own fics. This is merely a way to get you all to understand who these OCs of mine are.**

 **At any rate, I hope you still enjoyed this chapter and please read and review.**

 **Jdbl00d**


	4. Chapter 4: Favours

Yang watched as they surrounded her. Her eyes darted around as her assailants; three of them, circled her. She kept her eyes and ears sharp, sensitive to the slightest break in the tension. Outside the sparring ring Reigel watched, his eyes scrutinising the moves of everyone around.

Yang now heard the footfalls from behind her. She turned to as the one behind rushed at her. She blocked his punch and ducked as another attacked with a kick, simultaneously grabbing the first's hand and throwing him over her shoulder. That gave her ample time to defend against the third who engaged with a palm strike. Detecting movement in her peripheral vision, Yang twisted away as the second assailant attacked with another punch. She raised her arm and her robotic elbow struck the man in the back, causing him to stumble into the third.

Reigel nodded as Yang continued sparring. It had been four days since her arrival and she had definitely shown signs of improving. Not to mention the arm appeared to be getting better and better. Still, he knew the prosthetic's adjustments wasn't what had changed. Something definitely was different with the girl who was now beating down three full grown men.

"She's getting better Reigel." Luis remarked. "You've been working her hard it seems."

"She's still got a ways to go." The Faunus growled in response. "Besides, she's still three years behind being an actual Huntress." Reigel now ducked as Yang threw one of her opponents at him.

"Hey! I can still hear you!" Yang yelled as she twisted round and caught her assailant's arm as he lunged at her. He stared in shock as she hauled him off his feet and threw him at the other one.

"Nice trick." Luis smiled. "When did you teach her that?"

"I didn't." Reigel said. "Wondering how she managed it so quickly."

"Quit playing hard to get." Luis said. "She only learned those moves from you. You definitely had something to do with it."

Reigel looked at Luis, a massive glare crossing his features as Yang finally beat her opponents into submission. Reigel finally heard the beep of their Aura's entering the danger zone from his Scroll. "Alright, that's enough for now." He called out, signalling to the operators to lower the barricades surrounding the sparring ring. Yang reached for her bottle, taking a swift gulp as she picked up the towel nearby, wiping the sweat from her brow.

"Nice going kid." Luis nodded. "Seems like the arm is working right."

"Glad it is." Yang huffed, keeping her eyes on Reigel at all times. If there was one thing she had managed to learn, it was to keep her eyes out for any sign of hostility from him. Reigel was also apparently aware of this, as he too kept his attention on her, alert for the minute her guard was down. Then his head turned and Yang saw Ignis walk up to him, starting what seemed to be a private conversation.

"Well, I guess if nothing goes wrong, you'll be able to go soon enough." Luis replied. "After all, your time here was to get that arm fixed. Seeing as it is, I suppose it is almost up."

"I'd like to run the simulator again before I go." Yang said as she stood up. "Can't let that get the better of me."

"We can arrange it." Luis nodded. "Till then, keep at it kid." As the veteran soldier turned around, he saw Reigel now come up to him. It was apparent that something had happened, as Luis finally ran off, apparently in a hurry.

"What was that about?" Yang asked Reigel as soon as she was in earshot.

"Looks like I won't be there in time for your goodbye Yang." Reigel said. "Something came up. We got trouble down the coast of Vale. Some White Fang insurgents have somehow gotten some Atlas tech and are scavenging it for parts. No idea what they intend to do with it all, but I'm sure it ain't good."

Yang's fist clenched as soon as she heard the name of the White Fang. She remembered now the events that occurred months before, events that now brought her here. And she remembered especially the person who was the greatest cause of it all.

Reigel cleared his throat, snapping Yang out of her brooding. As soon as she looked up at him, she swore she detected a flinch. Looking around, she could also see others looking at her with apprehension.

 _Ah dammit_. Yang scowled internally as she breathed out, her red eyes now turning back to their lilac colour. "Sorry about that." She said as Reigel turned his Scroll off.

"Forget about it." Reigel replied. "Now I need to be going." Reigel now turned away, his back facing her. He took a few steps before a metal hand came down and grabbed his shoulder. He turned to see Yang holding him firmly.

"I want in." Yang demanded, to which Reigel's eyes widened, but only slightly.

"Are you nuts kid?" Reigel growled. "You want to go to a warzone that badly?"

"I thought you said we were all soldiers now?" Yang asked.

"That's not a good enough reason to get you into battle." Reigel snarled as he shook her hand off. "Something that flimsy is not worth your life. If you got nothing left to say, we're done discussing this." Reigel now walked away again. However, he barely made five steps before he heard the footfalls behind him. He turned sharply to see Yang rush at him, her prosthetic now raised. Quick as lightning, he raised his left arm, metal meeting metal in an ear-splitting ring.

"I still get them." Yang said as she pushed against his own arm. "Every night, I still remember the place where everything went wrong. They don't hurt as much as before, they aren't as terrifying as before, but they are still there. It has to stop. It _needs_ to stop."

"I need to do this." Yang growled back. "I can't move forward otherwise. If I don't face the White Fang now, if I don't take on these goons, how am I supposed to fight the guy who did this to me?" Yang now broke off the contact, staring into his eyes. "I'm not taking no for an answer. This is the only way I can finally get over what happened to me. This is the only way I can get _even_."

Reigel stared into her lilac eyes, and in them he saw his own reflection. He saw what he was like before he put those prosthetics on. He remembered the words someone told him in that hospital room. ' _You're done_ '. Those words rang through him for days. At the time, it was felt so true that he wanted to curl up and die. But then, something else woke in him. A drive to prove that he wasn't. A drive that he now saw in the eyes of the girl before him.

Reigel sighed, knowing there was no way back from this. "Fine." He replied. "But what I say goes, got it?"

* * *

Ignis frowned as she stared at Yang, who hadn't said a single word since coming in. When she had asked Reigel about it, all she got for an answer was that Yang wasn't going to be stopped. "I suppose sometimes we need to be able to convince ourselves that we can finally move on." Ignis sighed. Everyone in the room could detect a hint of irritation in her voice. "Really, you hardheads are all the same."

Yang smirked as Reigel rolled his eyes. "What the situation?" The Faunus asked.

Ignis now clicked on a small device she held in her hands. The room filled with about ten operatives watched as a holographic screen flickered to life. "As you know, since the Fall of Beacon, the White Fang hasn't been openly active. I don't quite like the prospect of that, but as of now I doubt there is much we can do about it. However, recent intel has shown that a few squads have been scrounging up damaged Atlas technology left behind." At this, pictures appeared showing White Fang troops hauling the remains of Atlesian paladins or Atlesian knights into large trucks.

"This was taken just a few days ago. We believe this group to be acting separately from the main force that attacked Beacon." Ignis said. "I do not know what they have in mind for this, but we can assume that they may use the tech for their own purposes, which the whole world now knows is anything but benign."

Yang focussed upon the pictures that flashed up, seeing the masked Faunus moving the wreckage of Atlas weaponry into the trucks. She felt her insides churn as the memories came back again, and her metal fist curled in response.

"So, as a direct order from the Atlas council, they want us to recover their property, as they have put it." Ignis said. "We can confirm that they are going to be transporting it down to the coast town of Lorden, no doubt to ship it there in complete secrecy. As of now, we can only assume that they will be moving these off the continent of Sanus at nightfall so as to not arouse suspicion."

"Why not just hit them when they get to the town?" A soldier asked. "Once they settle, we go in and nab them. Isn't that easier?"

"Unfortunately not." Ignis shook her head. "Tensions are still running high after the Fall of Beacon. Although there seems to be no form of hostility yet, the Vale council have made it incredibly clear that they will not be allowing anything except anyone assisting in evacuation. If we were to be noticed by Vale citizens, well I assume you know what will happen. Thus, we only have the limited time window where they will be transporting their cargo."

The occupants of the room nodded, acknowledging the limited time frame of the operation and just how difficult it was.

"Can't we just go in as civilians?" Yang asked. "I mean, no one is going to pay attention to ordinary people right?"

"Civilians don't exactly carry weapons around though." Reigel replied. "It'll be tough explaining to some cop why we have weapons without valid Huntsman licenses."

"But we will need someone to be in the town in case they make it that far." Yang argued back, catching the attention of the whole room. "I have faith in everyone in this room, but that doesn't mean we can't prepare for something we don't expect. If they push past into the town, we have to be able to follow them…"

The room went silent as everybody absorbed this new revelation by Yang. Reigel looked like he was about to argue back, but then nodded his head as he turned to Ignis. "She has a point. We may need to get some people there quickly to ensure we catch them."

"And how am I supposed to find some people with a valid Huntsman license for that?" Ignis frowned. "I am not going to risk a full-blown war between kingdoms Reigel."

"I can handle that." Reigel said as he reached for his pocket and pulled out an old Huntsman license. "Despite my current occupation, I am still a registered Huntsman. I can blend in well enough."

"You are going to need backup if they do get that far." Ignis replied. "How will you do that?"

"We can make same fake licenses…" Reigel said, at which Ignis held her breath as the rest of the room went silent again.

"Are you serious?" Ignis asked in astonishment. "Faking some Huntsmen licenses? Do you have any idea how bad this will be? If we get exposed this is just the same as sending fully armed troops in."

"So we make sure we don't get exposed." Yang said firmly. "We use only those who can pass off as Huntsmen for the team going to Lorden. As long as we just keep anything military-ish from the town, the Vale council won't see it as a threat, just some regular Huntsmen doing their jobs."

"And how exactly will we keep the Vale police and Huntsmen from noticing anything about us?" Ignis sighed.

"I have a friend in Vale." Yang said. "And I'm pretty sure he has managed to get his behind out before the attacks. As long as I can contact him, I should be able to get his help regarding the cops. He won't be able to stop them for long, so we still need to be quick."

"Seems like a smart idea." Reigel agreed. "As tactical commander, I say this is our best shot."

Ignis looked to Yang and then to Reigel before she sighed and put her hand on her forehead. "You two can be so reckless, you know that?"

Yang and Reigel now looked at each other, glaring as they regarded her comment on the one similarity they had.

* * *

"Blondie?" Came the voice of a burly man with a moustache and a beard that covered most of his jawline. "How did you get this number? Where are you calling from?"

"Relax Junior…" Yang said curtly. "I haven't got cops on me and how I found your new number doesn't matter. What matters is that I need a favour from you."

"What kind?" Junior asked, evidently annoyed. "In case you don't know, I'm still trying to rack up the damage report after whatever happened at the Vytal festival those months ago. I don't exactly know what kind of information I can give you when my network is still being patched up."

"I don't need info." Yang replied. "I need you and your boys to just delay some Vale officials. You up for the job?"

Junior blinked as he processed the information before he replied, very loudly.

"ARE YOU INSANE?" Junior yelled. "Kid, giving you information on criminals is one thing, but totally screwing with government bodies? I might as well just turn myself in! I have kept this way because despite my shady business of information gathering, I never, _never_ , messed with the Vale council. You are going to have to give me a good reason why I should stick my neck for this."

"First, I've got that part covered." Yang said as she hefted a small box onto the table. "This is a modified computer that will at least get you into the police network without being seen. According to my uh, benefactor, it has been tested multiple times, all successes. So you'll be in the clear. As a side bonus, this thing is programmed to self-destruct and wipe its own memory banks, so no one can trace you or recover anything pertaining to your involvement. Second, if you want a good reason, my benefactor also has offered you the following payment for your services, and discretion." Yang now sent a small message through to Junior's scroll. She watched as his eyes widened, obviously surprised at the amount of Lien being out forward.

"This is…" Junior breathed. "A lot. You guys must be desperate if you're willing to go this far…"

"Am I to take it that the payment is enough?" Yang asked, cracking a small smile.

"Well, it'll be good enough for now." Junior said. "How will I meet you to collect the goods?"

"Let us worry about that." Yang said as Reigel came into view, his mechanical claws entering Junior's field of vision.

Junior regarded Reigel with an apprehensive look before he turned to Yang again. "Y'know Blondie, you seem a little different since."

"A lot of things can change Junior." Yang answered.

"Hell, I don't know if I even recognise you as the kid who trashed my bar all those months ago." Junior chuckled. "But after what you've been through, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Alright, I'll do it. Of course, you'll keep my involvement a secret, right?"

"My lips are sealed." Yang grinned. "Anyways, just be in your bar by 7am. You'll find what you need all there. The payment will be made once we are done."

"Sure, seems like the smart thing to do." Junior nodded. "Bye blondie." At this, Junior terminated the call. Yang now sat back in the chair, breathing a sigh of relief that he had agreed. She now looked up at Reigel, who was now checking his weapon.

"He's in." Yang said. "As long as we get our magic box to him."

"Not half bad." Reigel said. "Now saddle up. We move out at first light." He then tossed a bronze coloured vest at her. Yang caught it and looked it over. She was a little displeased with the colour scheme, but she knew that she hardly had another option.

"Roger that." She replied.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

 **First off, I want to apologise for such a late upload. With other fanfics also demanding my attention and my current clinical attachment going on, it has been tough getting time to do all this. Still, I hope you will read this story.**

 **On a plus note, I have been doing much better at my recent attachment and I'm glad to say it isn't as anxious as it was before. So hopefully things work out in the end and my studies will progress forward. Hopefully with that, I can get this story going faster.**

 **Till then, please bear with me until the next chapter.**

 **Jdbl00d**


	5. Chapter 5: Sparks

**Author's Note:**

 **Once more, apologies for a late upload. Work has been murder lately. But at any rate, this story will be ending in 2 more chapters. Till then, do stick around and please bear with me.**

* * *

Yang had never been to the coastal town of Lorden, but she had to admit it was a sight. It wasn't as grandiose as the main capital city, but it still had good views of the ocean, not to mention an amazing reputation of the best seafood the kingdom of Vale had to offer. A few times in the past her father would bring her and Ruby into the town during the holidays. Yang could still recall the time she first ate the grilled Salmon dish at one of the town's cafes. It was the first time she had mastered using a knife and fork too.

Yang snapped out of her reminiscence as she twirled her metallic arm. The long sleeved jacket and accompanying glove she wore did well in hiding the metallic limb from sight. Although it was hot, it was necessary to hide her identity, especially considering that there was no authorised Huntsmen activity within the town. If there was one problem…

"Seriously, this had better not muck up my hair…" Yang scowled as she fingered her locks that were now dyed a hideous purple. Despite the fact that Ignis had assured her the effect was only temporary, she hadn't assured her of any other side effects. That combined with the fact that she was uglier beyond comprehension now, she was amazed she wasn't going berserk over it.

"Stow it. You wanted in, and you got it." Reigel snapped. "Besides, I'm pretty sure I also briefed you on maintaining a low profile. So stop complaining."

Yang sighed with a sullen expression as she stared out of the veranda. She had to admit the plan did have a good bit of collateral. She had the chance to enjoy a rather nice view of the sea from the safehouse that Achilles had managed to arrange. However, just like everything Achilles had to offer, it wasn't without its setback.

"Alright, I'm going out to look around town." Reigel stated as he put on a black shirt and over that, a red leather jacket. "Luis, you are in charge till I get back. And look after my _niece_ alright?"

"Sure thing mate." Luis nodded as he polished his gun up.

"Alright Violet, don't cause any trouble here." Reigel said as he made for the door.

"Sure." Yang scowled at the mention of her current alias. She remembered the minute she received the falsified license from Ignis, who wasn't all too happy about the situation herself. Having her hair disguised was terrible enough, but slap it together with the horrendous name she was given along with the accompanying fake relationship, she was sure she was being cursed.

"Seriously, who in the world of Remnant thought of a name like Violet Panthera?" Yang complained to Luis the minute Reigel was out of earshot. "I mean, I barely look like that guy to even be related to him."

"You just turned 21 years old and are a licensed Huntress in Vale. Parents are a human named Mr. Florence Devon and a Faunus named Ms. Verno Panthera, sister of a Mr. Reigel Panthera. As his niece taking a very generous offer of paid vacation, you and your uncle have decided to spend time in the town of Lorden hoping to see the sights of the Vale coast." Luis read out her staged background as if he had seen it a dozen times.

"Does the guy even have a sibling?" Yang asked. "I mean, I don't think anyone could even stand being near that jerk, even family members."

"Don't know kid." Luis shrugged as he looked to the Achilles scroll again. "Reigel has never been the kind to actually talk about his personal life save his previous teammates. Personally, I don't know if he has one."

Yang now stepped away from the window, grabbing a canteen bottle from the table. She opened it, putting it over her mouth and let the cool water flow down her throat. Based on the mission briefing, the White Fang would be transporting their cargo within the next few days. Already, an Achilles covert team is keeping an eye on them, ready to notify the other teams as soon as the convoy began to move. Not only that, but their scrolls were also connected to Junior's supplied laptop, which would then be signalled to allow him to interfere with the surveillance of the council cameras in the town. For now, it seemed like a solid plan. Still, Yang was more than sure a few things were going to go wrong. She stared at her robotic limb, a constant reminder of her overconfidence.

"Kid, watch it." Luis said. "The chromatic representation of your disposition could potentially blow our cover." Yang blinked as she now looked into the mirror, seeing her eyes suddenly turning red. She exhaled deeply, feeling the heat within her body now subside. She stared back into the mirror again, watching as her eyes returned to their normal colour once more.

"Yang, seriously get yourself in check." Luis said sternly. "Pull of stunts like that and we are all gonna get killed."

"I know Luis." Yang growled. "It's just… Whenever I think of everything that just happened to me, everything that has changed… I just…"

Luis looked at her as she slumped down on the floor again, her head now resting on the wall. Yang sighed as she closed her eyes and attempted to get her breathing under control again. "I need this to stop. I need to let go of all this crap. I need to stop feeling so angry about so many things. I need to stop thinking about all this. No, I _want_ to stop thinking about all this." Yang then started to chuckle. It sounded almost sick, deranged even. "Yeah right." She giggled. "I say that but I am still getting like this."

Luis breathed as he stripped his gun down and put the pieces away. He then stood up and started to unbutton his shirt. Yang watched with a bewildered look until he revealed his torso. Yang's eyes widened as soon as she saw the metallic plate that crossed over the left half of his abdominals.

"I was part of the Atlas 4th Armoured battalion." Luis said. "We handled loads of big things like the ammo for airships. Loads of Dust-ammunition around. Normally, things go off without a hitch. Served for eight good years. Then, one day, it all went to hell. A blind Dust rocket launcher meant for disposal just went off on its own. As luck would have it, I was just about to step away from it as it did. I lost a good bit of my gut when that happened."

Luis now put his shirt back on. "I managed to get patched up. Got myself back out in the field. But I always remembered the time that rocket launcher blew up. I can still feel myself getting flung God knows how many feet away. I can still remember teetering on the edge of death, and how absolutely terrifying it was."

"How'd you forget about it?" Yang asked. "How'd you stop feeling so afraid?"

"Well, it wasn't easy." Luis said. "And honestly? I don't think I ever will stop. I can still remember what it was like to think with absolute certainty that you'd die. I still remember how terrible it all was. But you know what? I think I'm not supposed to forget."

"Why?" Yang said. "Why don't you? When it is so terrible?"

"Because it helps remind me how terrible it felt." Luis said. "And that's why I got to move forward. Because I don't ever want to feel like that ever again. Ain't it the same for you?"

Yang looked back to her prosthetic limb, hearing the whirring of gears as she rotated it. "I guess. But what if I don't know how to move forward? What if everything just feels so… lost?"

"Well, you don't have to do it alone." Luis said. "You've got lots of people around you who know exactly what you are going through right now. But if there is anything you have to do, that is to look forward, without fear."

Yang frowned as she twisted her prosthetic again. "Well, I guess I still need work on that. Can't even sleep without those stupid memories coming back."

"I can't quite say much about that Yang." Luis commented. "But it's something you need to do to move forward. I don't care how or what, but remember that we are here on a mission, and you play a vital role in it. So whatever problems you have, they don't matter now. Get your head in the game and keep it there, you got me?"

Yang nodded, knowing that there was nothing else to say. She was here because she wanted it, so she had to ensure that everything went smoothly. "Got it." She responded.

* * *

Hours had passed since they were deployed. As Yang sipped another glass of water, a small alert beeped on one of the trooper's computer.

"Sir!" He called as Reigel stepped forward. "I got a message from Team Alpha. Fangs are bared."

Reigel nodded as he turned to the room. "Alright people, listen up! Word is that our marks are moving out. Remember the plan. When they settle down, we move in and intercept, silently and quickly. The minute we cause a commotion in the city, our problems become that much more complicated."

"Roger that boss." The troopers replied as they readied themselves. Yang for her part checked her arm's functionality, ensuring that nothing would cause it to freeze up whilst in the middle of the fight. As she now removed the connection spike from the metal plates, she felt Reigel come up from behind her.

"Don't even think about it punk." Yang growled. "Last time I checked, we have a job to do. So don't give me that crap that you want to test me with your annoying sneak attacks now."

"If I wanted to, I'd have done it already. You know that." Reigel replied. "I'm just here to ask you a question. Are you ready for this?"

Yang twisted her prosthetic, closing the metal plates over the entry ports. She watched as they clicked together as she rotated the metal wrist. She then flexed her fingers, curling them slowly into a fist as she stood up. She then drew it back and loosed a jab in front of her, noting that the limb displayed no form of hitching whatsoever.

"Like you said. I wanted in." Yang glared back. "What other option do I have other than being ready?"

Reigel nodded. "Alright then. Saddle up."

* * *

Luis now surveyed the city area from his nest in the main clock tower. It was the tricky part of the job now where they would need to wait for the White Fang convoy to enter the town itself. The plan was quite straightforward. Reigel and a few others would first cause a jam in the middle of town, forcing their trucks to stop. From there, the Achilles team would quickly subdue the extremists and then take over the trucks. Once that was done, they would drive the trucks toward the coast, loading up the stolen technology into shuttles before ensuring there would be no evidence left of their presence. A very simple plan.

However, his years as a soldier had made Luis more than certain that many things could go wrong. He kept himself steady as he observed the main road from where their quarry would be coming. All around he was sure the rest of the Achilles forces got into action. Scanning the crowd, he spotted the flash of purple in the crowd.

"Well Yang? How are things looking on your end?" Luis asked.

"As much as I still think my current hair job sucks, I guess it works wonders in not exposing me." Yang replied over the radio. "No one has even looked at me twice at this point."

"As long as you're not being exposed by Vale citizens." Luis replied. "So, any sign of our friends yet?"

"Nope." She replied as she started walking past the crowd. "West entrance looks pretty calm at the moment. Nothing but loads of tourists doing… _touristy_ stuff."

"This is Dom at the east entrance. Nothing so far." Came the other scout team.

"Stay alert people." Reigel replied. "I don't want so much as a whisper getting missed."

"You got it." Luis nodded as grunts of acknowledgement were heard all around. Just as he went back to surveillance, he noticed movement down the road. Yang appeared to have noticed too, for she was now rushing for it.

"Reigel, looks like our guests have arrived. Yang is already moving in." Luis said as he trained his sights on the trucks that were moving in. He already saw the Faunus behind the wheel. Of course the guy wasn't wearing a mask, definitely trying to avoid attention.

"Alright everyone, you know the game plan. Surround and swarm. We take them out fast and none is the wiser." Reigel ordered.

"Already there." Yang replied. "I'll tail them as best I can. Did our 'friend' get the message?"

"Team Alpha just radioed. He's in the system and the package is doing its job." Reigel nodded. "Alright, enough of this chatter. Let's get moving."

* * *

The deer Faunus at the wheel drove the truck down into the warehouse, with the others following suit behind him. Fooling the dockhands on their purpose and the nature of their cargo was easy enough. The one thing he did learn from all this was just how short-sighted the council-employed security personnel were. They wouldn't notice a threat as long as it didn't have such an obvious label.

As he was about to take a break, a tapping came from his window. He turned to see a girl with purple hair grinning at him from the outside. "Hi." She grinned. "How's it going?" He barely had a chance to react before her fist crashed its way through the glass and impacted on his face, knocking him out immediately.

Yang immediately got off just as the rest of the Achilles team subdued the other Faunus, dragging them out of their vehicles and hauling them off onto the floor. Others worked with large saws that now cut their way through the huge trailer containers towed by the trucks. Reigel himself was now occupied with a particular bear Faunus that admirably managed to hold out against his punch, though other than keeping conscious he wasn't doing a good job at everything else.

"Well, that went off without a hitch." Yang commented at Reigel as he threw his prisoner down on the ground.

"Boss? We have a problem!" Came one of the Achilles troops, a comment that now made Yang blow a lock out of her face.

"What is new?" Yang groaned as Reigel went to investigate. Curious as to what the issue was, Yang followed him to one of the trucks that had already been opened up. Looking inside, she saw why.

Nothing was inside it. The trucks were completely empty, with no sign of Atlesian hardware present at all.

"It was a trick." The trooper reported. "These guys were decoys. They knew we were watching them from the start."

Reigel now growled as he walked back to the bear Faunus he had captured. With his mechanical arm, he hauled the man off the floor and slammed him into the side of one of the trucks.

"Where is the hardware?" Reigel demanded from him. The bear Faunus had now just gotten back enough orientation to know he was currently being interrogated. His first answer was to spit back at Reigel.

"Wrong answer man." Reigel snarled. He now threw him upon the ground, crouching over him and now began ramming his metallic fist into his face. Yang grimaced as Reigel brutally beat the Faunus for a good five minutes before he hauled him up and slammed him into the truck again. "Now I won't ask another time." Reigel growled. "Where. Is. The hardware?"

The Faunus coughed as he answered. "We… we split it all up. We knew we were being tracked, just thought it was going to be Atlas forces anyways. Those stuck up troops wouldn't ever let their tech fall into enemy hands..."

"And where has the tech gone?" Reigel asked, glaring into the White Fang trooper's eyes. At this point, he was sure the lesson had sunk in as to what would happen were an unsatisfactory answer given. Thus, the bear Faunus answered appropriately. "They hauled them into separate trucks…" He breathed nervously. "Headed to different points on the coasts… Three places… That's all I know I swear!"

Reigel stared at him for a bit before he dropped the man onto the ground. "Squeeze the locations out of him and then relay them to me. Thorne, Dusk, get your guys suited up and head out. Yang, you are coming with me."

"Wait, where are we going?" Yang asked.

"They must have gotten off the beaten path and headed to a more remote location t transfer the goods." Reigel explained. "We have to move quick to intercept them before they get them out of the kingdom."

Before Yang could ask another question however, a small Dust round blew through the walls of the warehouse, striking one of the trucks and causing it to blow.

* * *

 **So in reference to Yang's hair issue this chapter, it was inspired by one moment in RT's extra life stream. Props to whoever finds it.**

 **Jdbl00d**


	6. Chapter 6: Ablaze

"What in the world just happened?" Yang yelled as she dove toward the floor, feeling the heat of the destroyed truck engulf the room. Reigel crawled to cover behind a pillar as the windows shattered under a hail of bullets. Most of the Achilles troops had made it without any problems. Others weren't as lucky, the Auras now winking out from the severe damage. The White Fang didn't fare better, with slightly less than half of them now unconscious.

"A setup." Reigel growled. "They wanted to take us out it seemed." Reigel now activated his Scroll as the other troopers took cover. "Luis! Talk to me, what happened?"

"Sorry boss!" Came Luis's voice amidst the static and screams of the locals outside. "I can't do much right now. All I can tell you is that a sniper has got a bead on you guys from the town's main clock tower and that you have a few armed White Fang troops closing in one you. You stay in there, you are gonna be dead."

"Copy that." Reigel said as he checked the others. "Thorne, Dusk, status!"

"This is Thorne." Came the first reply. "My unit is good."

"This is Dusk!" Came the second. "I got two guys with depleted Aura and one unconscious! I ain't pursuing anyone!"

"Alright. New plan." Reigel yelled. "Thorne, get your boys ready to move out and intercept our marks. Dusk, get those prisoners out of here and make sure they spill what we need to know. Gregor, I need you and the backups to move out of the city and help Thorne with the interception. Luis, you and your guys have to try and take out the goons coming for us. We have no chance at pursuing the stolen tech if we are caught in here."

"I'll do what I can." Luis acknowledged. "But be warned, we got lots of panicking people now. Soon enough, we will have some Grimm to deal with."

"Just focus down that sniper." Reigel said. "I'll take on the punks coming for us and then head to the last possible location our targets are headed to with Yang."

"How are you going to do that?" Yang asked.

Reigel looked to her before asking. "How are you with trucks?"

* * *

The Faunus gathered at the warehouse trained their guns on the doors. Already people around them were running and screaming amidst the gunfire that rang through the air. They knew they needed to be quick. Soon enough Vale authorities would arrive along with the Grimm who would be attracted to the panic and fear. It was priority now to expose the Atlas team that had currently attempted to retrieve their stolen technology. They weren't sure why they needed to do this, but it didn't really matter if it hurt relations between Vale and Atlas.

As they approached the warehouses, the revving of an engine inside caught the attention of those who possessed animal ears. They prepared to fire at whoever would soon attempt to leave the structure, with the commanders now ordering their troops to fan out.

And then the truck crashed through the doors, careening towards them at max speed. Shock registered on their faces for a split millisecond before they finally turned and ran away. The truck now hit the ground, skidding around on circles before it slammed into the wall of a building, jostling around its occupants.

Yang gasped as she bounced off the window, her metal arm shielding her head against the glass. "Are you CRAZY!?" She yelled at Reigel. "Forget getting us out of there, I could have died! Who in the hell taught you to drive?!"

"Just shut your trap kid!" Reigel yelled back as the truck suddenly took fire from the surrounding White Fang.

"Get us out of here man!" Yang screamed as she ducked her head below the window, narrowly avoiding the bullets.

Reigel slammed on the pedal, but the truck did not respond save for a few whirs. Bullets continued to pelt the disabled vehicle and dread continued to pelt Yang's mind. "Okay! Now would be a very good time to GET US MOVING!"

"Shut it! I got this!" Reigel yelled back as he floored the pedal once more. This time, the truck roared to life and moved down, almost mowing over the Faunus extremists. Of course, Yang still wasn't prepared for the burst of speed Reigel had put out, which caused her to slam backwards into the seat. Yang blew a lock of her hair out of her face as she struggled to sit upright.

"Oh god, I swear if I die because of your driving…!" Yang yelled, though it was to no avail as Reigel drove the vehicle right down the roads leading out of Lorden. "How in the world did your team put up with this?!"

"Well I imagine Wesley was the only one who held it together most of the time." Reigel spoke. "Nicole often got traumatised and Diana usually threw up…"

"I did NOT need an answer to that question!" Yang screamed, genuinely terrified now at Reigel's dysfunctional vehicle skills. "How in the world of Remnant are team WNDR's members all insane?!"

"You can go ahead and complain for all I care." Reigel snapped. "We still have people to catch up to."

"Doesn't matter if your driving kills us!" Yang screamed back. "Will you at least not crash us into anything at full speed?"

Reigel now ignored her remarks as he fired up his Scroll. "Talk to me."

"Okay boss, we have gotten three locations from the guy." Dusk replied over the Scroll. "Thorne is headed for the furthest one now while Gregor is heading for the one a ways away from town. The one I think you should go for is the one right by the cliffs since it's the only place you can get to quickly."

"Copy that. How is your exfill?" Reigel asked as he barrelled through a few trees, shocking Yang in the process as the glass windows started to crack.

"We have retreated from the town." Dusk said. "Luis has also gotten away. We'll head to you soon enough."

"Roger." Reigel nodded as he cut off the call. He now turned his attention back to driving, just as the truck smashed through a boulder, completely wrecking the front and smashing the windows completely.

* * *

The massive truck now pulled up on the sand, White Fang troops now jumping out and opening the doors of the trailers. They kept a lookout as others pulled out the wreckage of an Atlesian paladin. Others pulled out parts of paladins while another truck unloaded a fully equipped paladin.

The commander, a rather burly ram Faunus, now looked at his watch, noting the time that it showed. He smiled as he noted that he was right on time. It would be at least fifteen minutes before the ship arrived to collect on this. It would definitely be of use to the White Fang to have some Atlas technology on hand, despite how broken it was.

Then, his ears picked up a strange sound. The cracking and snapping reverberated through the air along with a violent roaring sound. Apparently, the others heard it as well, for they looked around quizzically, unsure of where the source came from.

They got their answer soon enough, when the truck flew right over them from the cliff above. The Faunus shouted and ran away as the truck crashed into the sand at top speed. It skidded around for a while before finally tumbling onto its side, rolling around a few times before it finally came to a stop on its wheels, smoke rising from the vehicle as the engine finally went dead.

Within the truck, Yang groaned as she pushed her way out of the vehicle, smashing the door off and then climbing out onto the sand. For a while, she felt okay, maybe a little bruised and battered, but her Aura had held out and her prosthetic seemed to have taken no damage from the crash. Then, she felt the churning in her belly as the bile rose to her throat. She finally realised that she couldn't hold it in any longer, dumping her stomach contents out onto the sand.

Reigel now jumped out, loading his shotgun as he did. He then caught the sight of Yang vomiting, which made him grimace. "Really kid? Now?"

Yang spat out the last of the bile before she turned back and glared at him. "Ok, seriously. How have you not killed anyone with your driving yet?"

"Look, I have a lot of time devoted to a lot of things, but driving was never one of them." Reigel answered. "Besides, if it gets us there quick, I don't see the problem."

"I ride a motorbike for goodness sake!" Yang screamed. "And it is still safer than this!"

"Well good for you!" Reigel answered. "Now shut up and get to cover!"

Yang frowned at his statements just as the bullets started flying. She reacted instantly, diving toward the ground behind the truck as Reigel followed suit. "So what's the plan? It's just two of us against like thirty of them…"

"Thorne and Gregor are headed here now." Reigel said. "We have to hold out till they do."

"That's not a very sound plan coming from you…" Yang blinked. "Isn't there something we could try?"

"You two are dead!" Came one of the Faunus. "You hear me?" At this, Reigel sighed. Twisting his hand around the corner of the ruined truck, he fired the shotgun and now heard the cry of pain echo through the air.

"Nice shot." Yang remarked.

"It was mostly luck." Reigel answered as the hail of bullets hit the truck again.

"So, other than being able to trick-shot the rest of them, got any ideas?" Yang asked.

"Not really no." Reigel said as he fired again. Judging by how the bullets kept going, Yang was sure nothing had happened. "Only thing I got left is close quarters. My Semblance should help out just fine, but that isn't happening with all those guns pinning us here."

"What can your Semblance do anyway?" Yang asked.

"It's mostly a physical power-up." Reigel said as his arm became coated in a strange white flame. "I call it Aura Fang."

"Aura Fang?" Yang frowned. "Weird name…"

"It comes in handy in a fistfight, especially against those with Aura." Reigel explained. "But it does give me a good strength boost."

Yang blew a lock of her hair out of her face. She dared a peak at the enemies they faced, shrinking back as she flexed her metallic fingers, a crazy idea popping into her head.

"Hey Reigel, hit me." Yang said.

Reigel stared at her with disbelief. "Seriously kid? I've got no time to entertain a masochistic necessity."

"It isn't." Yang said. "It will help us save our skins. So hit me with your hardest, and don't you dare hold back."

Reigel flexed his robotic fingers. He now recalled what Yang's Semblance could do. If combined with his, it could definitely give her an edge. The real questions were how and if the side effects were worth it.

Deciding that there was no merit to waiting and that there was no other solution, Reigel activated his Semblance, a white coloured flame now covering his arms. "Alright kid, you'll get what you want. But a word of caution, you might want to brace yourself."

* * *

The White Fang troops continuously fired upon the truck, their bullets now putting more holes into the metal plating. Once of them finally ran up with a Dust powered rocket launcher. He hefted the weapon onto his shoulder and took aim. A single shot would be all he needed to take out the two who had attacked them.

Then without warning, a ferocious cry echoed through the air. All the Faunus extremists watched as the truck their enemy hid behind was slammed toward them. The vehicle now caught fire as it tumbled toward them. The sight of the burning mass caused a very predictable reaction in the White Fang troops. They turned and ran away as fast as they could.

The burning vehicle now struck one of the other trucks before it exploded, blowing up the other vehicle as well and scattering burning debris all over the sand, while the shockwave of the blast pushed anyone near it to the ground. A few Faunus were knocked out cold while others now felt their Aura's flash, indicating critical levels.

As the others recovered, they looked up to see two figures charging at them. All watched with shock as they recognised the one leading, a girl with blood red eyes and hair that burned like gold.

Reigel followed Yang's lead, finding himself rather impressed with her solution. He never thought she'd use the wreck of their truck as a way to cover their approach into close quarters. All it needed was a little contribution from his part. He watched as Yang now tore through the White Fang. With all she had just done, he was sure she could handle such goons.

He now turned his attention to his own foes. He spotted the first Faunus extremist run up to him, a lady rabbit Faunus it seemed. Raising his shotgun, he shifted it into its sword form, parrying her weapon. "Get one thing straight lady…" He snarled as he pushed her back. "There are lots of chivalrous guys in the world. I'm not one of them." Reigel now clamped his metallic claws on her forearm, hauling her overhead and slamming her into the sand before delivering a punch to her face.

Reigel turned as another charged at him. He gathered the white flame of his Aura Fang Semblance into his fists again, striking his target with it. Instantly, he felt his own Aura become energised by his opponent's as his Semblance drained the Aura out of his opponent and fuelled his own. If there was only one issue about his Aura Fang Semblance, it drained his own Aura just to keep it active. But as long as no one knew of this, he figured he'd have the advantage.

Some distance away, Yang fought her own battles against the White Fang, beating down any that got too close to her. She ducked as another swung his blade for her head before she hauled him off his feet and threw him away. She then raised her prosthetic as another came from her right, catching his sword before breaking it into pieces and then delivering a hook to his face.

 _Okay… Okay…_ Yang assured herself. _Its fine, I'm still good. Now, I just need to…_ She barely finished her thoughts before the sound of heavy footfalls on the sand caught her attention.

Yang now turned to see a massive Faunus charging at her. However, as she braced herself for the fight, she caught a glimpse of the ram horns that grew from his head. Her thoughts ran still as she subconsciously recalled the nightmares that had plagued her for so many nights. Thus, she was completely defenseless as he charged into her, knocking her off her feet and barreling her into the wall of the rocky cliff.

Yang gasped as the wind got knocked out of her. She strained hard against the Faunus commander, her hands straining to push him off.

"I see… You're the kid Adam wounded, the one from Beacon right?" The Faunus taunted, which made Yang's face go pale. "Yeah, I remember you. You took out a bunch of my guys when we attacked the school. But I guess you didn't count on Taurus being that much stronger huh?"

Yang answer only with strained grunts as she attempted to push him off. However, he was strong, much stronger physically than most of the other opponents she had to face through the years.

"You know what kind of eyes I see? I see a scared little girl. And I do have to admit, not a lot of people aren't scared of Taurus. That guy? I'm sure he got something broke inside."

"Shut it…" Yang groaned as she tried to push back.

"Well sorry, but this is what the real world is." The Faunus sneered. "It's not all fine and dandy where you get to play hero and return with a smile on your face. I'm gonna knock you down all the way and make sure you never stand again. That's the way you should be, nothing but a snivelling little…"

The Faunus didn't get a chance to finish before a metal claw clamped down on his shoulder and threw him off, forcing him to let Yang go. Yang hit the sand hard, looking up to see Reigel and the White Fang commander now sparring each other. Yang watched as Reigel landed a punch, the shimmer of the ram Faunus's Aura flashing and appearing to be siphoned toward Reigel.

"What the hell?" The ram Faunus exclaimed. "Did you just suck out my Aura?"

"Good eyes…" Reigel noted. "No one really notices that at first glance. You're not an ordinary White Fang, someone higher up it seems."

"Tch…" The ram Faunus grunted as Reigel swung another jab, narrowly dodging that but falling prey to a kick. Once more, the ram Faunus felt his Aura weaken. "Cut it out!" He roared before charging at Reigel. Reigel in turn grabbed his horns and flipped over him, kicking him forward.

"Get this into your head big guy, I don't appreciate what you just said to that kid." Reigel said, a dark look on his face as he walked forward, his sword shifting back to its shotgun form. "So what if she's scared now? She'll pull through, I know she will. I didn't train her these past few days so that she could remain a snivelling runt, which is more than I can say for you once I'm through you little dirtbag…"

"Tough talk." The ram Faunus snarled. "But you forgot one little thing… It isn't just me you are dealing with…"

Reigel now heard the whirring of gears and machinery. He turned to see the Atlesian Paladin now moving about. He grunted, knowing that it must have been started by one of the White Fang troops who had managed to evade the brawling. It posed a problem for him now, considering his Aura Fang Semblance didn't work on machines. He broke into a run, firing shotgun shells into the mech. However, it remained unfazed, now starting to turn its cannons toward him.

Then, just before it could fire, Yang charged in, her hair aflame once more. Drawing her left hand back, she gave a punch to the mech's leg. Although it didn't demolish it, it was enough to throw its aim off, the Dust cannons now firing wildly.

"Yang…" Reigel started before she held her hand up.

"Reigel, not now. You can chew me out all you want later, but first let me take care of this thing." Yang replied as she slammed her fists together.

Reigel nodded in silence, knowing there was nothing else to say. He charged toward the White Fang commander while Yang now focussed on the Paladin. Yang rolled about, dodging rocket shots and laser blasts, trying her best to hit the mech where she could However, it didn't appear to be taking damage. She now recalled what Weiss had said during their time in the Vytal festival, that the ones they had faced before were just prototypes. She reasoned that she now squared off against the real deal.

The Paladin now abandoned the ranged weaponry for favour of melee combat. Yang now charged the mech down, hoping to smash its limbs off. However, the mech now jumped, avoiding her completely while firing a few shots at her from above. Yang barely had time to dodge before the projectiles hit, getting blown away in the process.

She cried out as she hit the sand, feeling a bruise form on her right shoulder. She panted as she got up, squaring against the mech that now held her at point blank range.

 _Sloppy…_ Yang cursed as she stared down the barrel of the mech's cannons, knowing there wasn't another way out. Then at the corner of her eye, she spotted an unused rocket launcher, possibly dropped from one of the White Fang soldiers earlier when she had rammed the truck at them. Time stopped for a split second as Yang considered her options. She then noticed the glow of the Paladin's weapons and made up her mind.

 _This is a bad idea…_ She thought as she grabbed the launcher and pointed it right at the barrel of the Paladin. Without hesitation, she pulled the trigger, the explosive projectile now detonating the cannon and sending burning shrapnel everywhere. Yang didn't have time to flinch from the explosion or consider the damage her Aura had taken. Holding her prosthetic up to shield her face, she charged at the Paladin that was now tottering slightly. Drawing her right arm back this time, she roared as she threw a punch at the Paladin's leg, her hair once more burning brightly as she did. The metal strut of the mech now crumbled into bits from the force of her punch, causing the mech to fall over again.

Yang now spun around, facing the falling body of the mech as it descended toward her. She now lashed her right out into an uppercut. She felt her fist shatter the chassis of the mech, watching as bolts and nuts broke apart or popped out while the steel plates and joints buckled and cracked. The Paladin took the air again, this time spinning through the air before it landed in a crumpled heap behind her, the pilot ejecting just before it did. A split second later, the mech exploded, overcome by the massive damage it had sustained.

Yang stared at her arm in shock, amazed by the level of strength she had just displayed. She then heard thuds sounding from her right. She turned to see Reigel now slamming the ram Faunus down onto the ground before lifting him back up and giving him a kick in the butt. The Faunus cried as he hit the ground, the last drops of his Aura now winking out.

"You won't get away with this…" The White Fang commander growled. "You just messed with monsters, and you'll pay the price soon enough…"

Reigel stared coldly as he holstered the shotgun on his back. Before he could make a move, Yang stepped forward, her eyes still glowing red. With her leg, she hefted the ram Faunus onto his back, putting one foot over him.

"You told me before, you'll knock me down all the way so that I'll never stand again." Yang said as she grabbed his throat with her right arm, the metal groaning as she lifted him up effortlessly. He strained against her iron grip, clutching the metal limb tightly, though it didn't even budge.

"Well then." Yang smirked as her eyes turned back to their normal lilac colour and her hair stopped glowing. "If I'm always going to be knocked down, I guess I'll just have to keep standing up every time after." Drawing her left hand back, she slammed his face with a wicked uppercut, drawing some blood from his nose and knocking him out cold.

Reigel now heard the rumbling of vehicles coming in and registered the calls on his Scroll from the other units. "Well, I suppose that wraps it up." Then another truck blew, startling Yang in the process.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

 **Apologies for the late upload. Like before, work has been murder and it was tough to try and make this fight scene come out. Hopefully it goes as well as I had hoped.**

 **Anyways, for any interested, Reigel's Semblance is loosely based off the abilities of Ragna the Bloodedge, from the Blazblue franchise. That guy is among my favourite fighting game characters and I'm finally glad I had gotten that concept down into RWBY.**

 **As always, do read and review. This story comes to an end in the next chapter.**

 **Sincerely yours,**

 **Jdbl00d**


	7. Chapter 7: Reignited

Yang smiled as she enjoyed the sea breeze upon the Achilles Flotilla. Beside her were her bags that she had taken with her just for these few days. Soon, she would be able to board a boat and head back to Patch, where her father was waiting.

After the mission was finished, Reigel had arranged for whatever salvageable wreckage was found to be retrieved. Thanks to Junior's contributions as well, the Vale authorities had no idea of an external force involved. Therefore, Achilles was off the hook. Still, Dr. Ignis wasn't going to put more attention on Achilles, meaning that for now the organisation was keeping to themselves.

Yang now heard the footfalls coming up to her. She turned, alert for the slightest show of hostility as Reigel neared.

"The hell is up with that look?" Reigel frowned. "I'm not going to attack you, I promise."

"Sure…" Yang said sarcastically. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…" She didn't get to finish before Reigel tossed her a bottle. Though it took her by surprise, Yang expertly caught it.

"You can drink right?" Reigel said as he lifted a similar bottle to his mouth. "It's a good cider from Vale. I make it a point to have at least one bottle whenever I visit the kingdom."

Yang blinked at the bottle. She then opened it, taking a small sip. It wasn't long before she took a liking to the drink, beginning to take larger gulps. "That's oddly charitable of you."

"Consider it thanks for the help with the mission." Reigel explained. "And congratulations on your rehab. It was only a few days, but it was rather enjoyable. Some of it at least." Yang snorted at the last line, she took another sip just as Reigel asked another question.

"So, how are you holding up? Still getting nightmares?" He asked, causing Yang to pause. She looked to her prosthetic again. It had been badly scratched in the last battle, though thanks to Ignis and the rest of the team, it looked good as new. She always thought the arm was a symbol of something lost, a terror and pain that could never be forgotten. For so long, it had plagued her waking and sleeping hours. She had wondered what it would have taken to get out of it, to forget and put it all behind. Now, after these few days, she knew the answer.

"I don't have the nightmares per se." Yang replied. "They will still be there. They will _always_ be there. And I'm still afraid I guess. I'm afraid of it happening again. I'm afraid of feeling helpless again. I'm afraid of slinking back into that shell of myself; too scared to keep going."

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'll never forget what happened that day." Yang said as she looked up into the sky. "But, that doesn't mean I can't keep standing up. I'll push forward, no matter what happens. Bad things do happen, but I decide if it controls me."

Reigel nodded as he finished the last bit of the cider. "You know what kid? I reckon that's the best answer anyone could ever give."

"Whoa!?" Yang stared back in surprise. "Was that a compliment? Are you really Reigel?"

"Shut up." Reigel snapped in annoyance. "Right now, you still have lots to work on. But no doubt you are going to get Tai to work with you on that. He was a better fighter than I was, and he is a good teacher too."

"He is also a great dad." Yang smirked. "Albeit an interesting one."

Reigel nodded. "Hell, he definitely is." The white tiger Faunus now stood up, extending his hand to Yang, who grasped it hard. Reigel now helped her onto her feet, studying the young woman before him. "Well Yang, your rehab comes to an end. It wasn't the most comfortable experience for us both, but I hope you'll keep going on with that attitude."

"Yeah." Yang nodded. "Thanks a lot too Reigel. For everything." Yang now shook his hand. "Will this ruin your tough-guy reputation?"

"A man's gotta be soft when it counts." Reigel nodded. "How else are you supposed to even hang out with ladies once in a while?"

"You know Reigel, you're not as bad as you sound." Yang grinned.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Reigel scowled. "Well, I suppose I could indulge you in a couple of things. If you ever want to contact me…" He now handed Yang small device that looked like a storage drive. "Insert that into your Scroll, and you'll be patched into our general network. You'll only get thirty seconds to talk before it cuts transmission, so make the messages quick. I'll reply when I can."

"Thanks." Yang smiled as she took it. "I'll remember that."

Reigel now looked at the horizon. "Well, we are at least an hour away from Patch. I suppose I could indulge you one thing as a going home gift. Name it."

Yang blinked as she considered her options. There were so many things she wanted to do right now. She figured she'd settle for the best one.

"Well, if you insist…" Yang grinned before she quickly struck Reigel in the chin with a punch he wasn't prepared for. The Faunus was lifted off his feet and landed a few feet away into a bunch of crates, startling the other Achilles personnel nearby.

Reigel looked up with a shocked expression as Yang walked up to him with a smug smile. "Let's leave it at that for all the times you attacked me without warning. But if you are so inclined to beat me down in a fair match, I guess I'm game."

Reigel glared as Yang stepped back. He sighed, knowing that at the very least, he probably deserved that. Reigel now sat up, his lips curling into a smile, one he hadn't had for a long time. "Well, I guess if you are ready, so am I. Question is, can you back up that talk?"

"I guess we'll find out." Yang smirked.

* * *

 **Weeks later, Town of Higanbana**

The yellow motorcycle parked outside the inn was definitely out pf place, but no one really paid too much attention to it. It was the girl who it belonged to that every one of the locals were interested in. At first glance, everyone thought she was the regular thug who had just wandered into town. However, she started making small talk with the innkeepers and waitresses in a light-hearted manner, so their anxiety dissipated soon enough.

Yang sipped down the Strawberry Sunrise she had ordered. She was still dismayed that the drink didn't come with the umbrella decors she was familiar with. Still, she figured beggars couldn't be choosers.

The inn doors suddenly burst open as a rowdy bunch of guys entered. Yang could now sense the mood around her shift as the patrons fell silent. Even the waitress appeared to have had a rise in stress levels. Yang turned her head slightly to regard the newcomers. Looking at the guy in the lead, a rather burly man with a snake tattoo on his face, her eyes edged into a frown. She then took out her Scroll, looking through the bits of information she had stored in it.

 _That's him…_ Yang nodded. She went through her head how to approach the man as peacefully as possible. It wouldn't do to start a pointless fight like she normally did, the lessons both her father and Reigel had given her ringing through her head.

She lifted the glass to take another sip, only to see in the reflection of the beverage that the man had decided to come for her. _Wow. Just my luck._ Yang blinked as she merely sat where she was as the group closed in.

"Hey little lady." The man with the tattoo greeted her as he sat down to her left. "Haven't seen you before. You new here?"

"You could say that." Yang replied, looking at him through her shades.

"Well, let me welcome you to Higanbana." He smiled. "The name is Cho. I'm what you could call the boss of this place."

"Is that so?" Yang arched on eyebrow. "Isn't the boss of this town the mayor?"

"Maybe." Said a smaller man behind her. "But Cho is the one who really gets things done around here. The back alleys, the streets, nobody do nothing Cho don't want."

"Yeah. As long as we do want the boss wants, everyone is good." Came the taller man behind Cho.

"And so little miss." Cho smiled. "Why don't you hang out with us hmm? Let me show you the ropes around here."

Yang now felt his burly arm around her shoulders, something she was not appreciative of. Regardless, she needed more room to be able to handle Cho and the five guys who hovered around him.

"Well, I guess I do have some questions to ask you." Yang nodded. "For starters, what in the world did Reigel ever do to you?"

Cho's smile vanished, a look of shock now crossing his face. "What?"

"Yeah, thing is Cho, I do know who you are." Yang nodded. "I was just wondering what it would take for you to get into a talk with me, but that's not really a problem now. Still, Reigel did say if you needed convincing all I had to do was say his name."

"How the hell do you know that jerk?" Cho gritted his teeth, obviously getting agitated.

"Well, we have a little history together." Yang explained as she took another sip of her drink. "I just don't understand why he feels just his name alone helps. But I have felt how hard he punches people and I know who he works with, so I'm just wondering what did he do to you?"

"Doesn't matter…" Cho growled as he stood up and drew out a pistol, his stooges doing the same. "That guy insulted me once before. Any friend of his isn't a friend of mine."

"Aww, come on." Yang replied smugly. "I'm just a little girl who is asking for some help. Whatever happened to hanging out?"

"Outside sweetheart, now." Cho demanded. Yang now looked as he moved away, standing in the middle of his cronies. She turned around, studying their positions around her, thinking of the best way to subdue them safely.

Yang sighed as she stood up from her chair, staring down the barrel of his gun. She removed her shades, folding them and setting them down onto the table. "One thing you ought to know big guy, don't ever call me _sweetheart_."

* * *

The quiet of the town was interrupted by howls and squeals. The townsfolk outside gasped in shock as the inn's patrons and staff fled. People started talking about how Cho and his gang started picking on a lone girl in the inn. The conversation had gone hostile, with Cho and his gang pulling guns out on her. Soon enough, the girl had grabbed the gang leader and thrown him into his subordinates. Their voices became filled with dread as they whispered on how the girl would eventually get herself killed.

Then, a man was thrown through the window of the inn, screaming as he crashed into a heap of wooden crates. As he tried to recover, a blast sounded from within as another man flew out and collided into him, knocking them both out immediately. As the townsfolk gathered around them, a third man was smashed out of the side of the inn, losing consciousness as he hit the pavement. Everyone now gathered at the doors and windows of the inn as close as they dared, gasping as they witnessed the sight before them.

The remainder of Cho's gang were out cold and sprawled across the wreckage of tables and chairs. Cho himself was now being held effortlessly by the girl's right hand. He struck her arm, but she didn't budge. Cho now removed the cuff on her arm, shocked to find the prosthetic in place.

Yang now reached for her drink, finishing the last of it before she turned to the man again. "Well, as long as you are here, you can answer some of my questions." Her left hand now reached into her pocket and removed a photograph. She now lifted it to him and pointed to one of the figures in it. "I'm looking for this person. Tell me where I can find her and I'll let you down."

"Bitch!" Cho cursed. Yang sighed as she realised the initial approach failed. She now slammed the burly man to the ground, driving her knee into his gut. He choked as she showed him the photo again.

"I won't ask again." Yang glared, her lilac eyes flashing red, something that together with her incredible strength unnerved the man before her.

"O-Okay!" Cho panicked. "I-I don't know where she is. But I can tell you where I think I have seen her!"

"Great!" Yang smiled. "Indulge me then."

Once the information exchange was complete, Yang thanked the gangster and let him go. She walked up to the bar, picking up her shades and placing a couple of Lien chips down on the table. "Sorry about the mess." She said before she walked toward the entrance. As she did, she took out a Scroll along with a small attachable drive. Clicking it into her Scroll, she made the call. It wasn't long before he answered.

"Y'know, when you said he'd be cooperative, I imagined something a little less physical." Yang pouted as she spoke.

"I never said it wasn't going to involve a fist-fight." Reigel replied.

"Next time, at least let me know if I'll end up causing a commotion." Yang scowled. "I'm not here to start fights, remember?"

"I thought you always liked a good brawl." Reigel chuckled over the line.

"There's a time for everything." Yang replied. "Anyways, he did good. I got what I needed."

"Good to know." Reigel nodded. "Take care of yourself out there. And good luck."

"Yeah. Thanks." Yang smiled as her thirty second limit timed out.

Ignoring the stares of the locals, she jumped on her motorcycle again. With the twist of the keys, Bumblebee roared to life. She put on the throttle, the motorbike now speeding down on the path out of Higanbana.

 _I'm close now._ Yang smiled as she left the town behind. _You'd best be prepared. Because you are going to be in sooo much trouble when I find you_.

* * *

 **Author's note:**

 **And that's that. Sorry it took so long to get this finished. Times have been busy as of late.**

 **At this point, I didn't quite specify who Yang is looking for since it wasn't done so in the series itself, so I will leave it to your imagination.**

 **As of now, I won't be making any new RWBY fics till Vol. 5 comes out.** **To me, this fic is a little closer to my heart than most others since it quite reflects my current year of studies, which right now hasn't gone well and I have had to look at different paths to take in life. Thus,** **I hope you have enjoyed this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it.**

 **And regarding Reigel, I have plans for making him return in a separate fic, though that is dependent on what Vol. 5 shows. Till then, please read and review.**

 **Yours sincerely,**

 **JdBl00d**


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